Manufacture of solid rubber tires



Oct, 2, 1945.' HQ s. cHURcH 2,386,034

MANUFACTURE OF SOLID RUBBER TIRES Filed Aug. 3, 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet' l oct. z, a194s.k

H. S. lCHURCH MANUFACTURE OF SOLID RUBBER TIRES Filedh Aug. 3, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I Patented Oct. 2, 1945 ville, ohio, a corporation of ome Y Application August 3, 1942, Serial No; l53,398

Theinvention relates to' solid rubber tires and more't particularly to a tire Having a solid rubber tread cure-dontov a steel band or base ring, and to the removal of such a tire fromftl'e` moldl in which it is` cured or `vulcanized.

Solid' rubber tires liavih'g a solid rubber tread` curedl onto an' inner steel band or base' ring have been nra'de for years. relatively narrow' tread Widtli and their manufacturer does not present any dilcult problems.

However, recently there' has beefi a demad for tires of this character having a treadl width greatly inexcess' of those heretofore made: For example the rubber treads maybe a's'? Wide as six tvv'o'- to three' times their? thickness".A 'Fires of this; chaiacterV are very difficult to remove the molds in which they are cured4 without dameagilng. the rubber' tread or' steel base* ringf.'

Thesel dii'culties' arise b'ecause of'tlfie relatively o large circumferential area of the tread and in contact with the mold; and because the tire must beheld in the moldi under sub's'tantial piresJ sure or compression during. vulcaniza'tion.` Thu-s',` af` large' amount of frictiohall resistance-fof rbvber tread surface to mold surface' and stei` ring' surface toV mold? surface under pressure must be overcome in order 13o-remove the: tires fromthe molds. y l

Moreover, it is desirable if not necessary tol removeV the' tires from the molds? as quickly as possible after them'ldshave been rem'owfedfromT the vulcanizing: pits; but at the same .timer the rubber stock used for such tires;4 While it is'y still Warmy and. before' it has once cooled from the vulcahizirig opera-tion; is q'uitef brittle a'ridmayl aremaintained under pressure'whi-le carryingioutf the vulcanizing operation The base ring must be supported against distortiondue to suelae pressure which might cause it to'beben-tA outofrounde Also" the' base ring must l be: maintained concentric With: th'e mold and tre'ad Whilefth'e press-ure* isf maintained.

Tnese considerations' make it desirable if not neeessary to' intern-any baer up' the eylindricar Such` tires have a` base' ring against distortionad for' cex'itering;'l and` to' obtain` and maintain the desired pressure by slightly over-'filling the' rubber cavity of the mold with' rubbe so that when the-` mold halves are pressed together, the' r'ulf'rlflei for tli'e tr'ead is' under extreme' pressure within the mold cavity against .the base`v ring therein'. By these means the: proper adhesion between the tread rubber and? steel base' ringis obtained` when the" rub= ber is vulcanized.

Thus;n the inner surface of the steel! base fing is covered b'y the backing means; the outer teadj rubber cannot be gripped; and the anuls is u'n'der radial compression throughout'its crcuference betweenthesubstanti'ally cylindrical sur; fades of the moldcavity and backing means;l The backing means found most satisfactory is`- a split inner ring having a cylindrical' outer surface eigaging the inneifsurf-'ace of the base ring and having a; slightly double' taperedo wedged.'A an riular inner' surface for engagement with com-d plementary surfaces of the mold halves. This' split inner ring inV turn is in` tig-ht wedged ffietional engagement with the' mold halves and with th base ring.

`Because of thisl arrangementl it is impossible to grip the inner split backing' ring in 'any Way so as? to'contract it;tov relieve theY pressure:

I have,discovered,r however-,f that if, after sepLY arating thegtwo'rnold halvesfrleavingthe treaid inner ring irionel'of the ino'ld halves?, the inner ring is engaged internally by internal exfpandg tong mean-s'` to securely` grip` the` inner ring and very slightly expand or distort the same, the inner ring can be pulledl axially from" the mold: and fromwithin the'basering.` Such procedure is exactly contrary to that whicl-r one would nbr`V mally believe to be the proper procedure, because the tendency would appear toibe of in-w creasingthe frictional resistance? between the outer surface of the inner rin-giamdthe inner sur-A faceof thefbase ring;

Whatever may be themechanics of the oper-f atiom. the resultan-t effect is thatV the" internally expanding! ton'gr means and the inner ringE gripped thereby may thenbe slowly raised toiseparate thcin-ner ring from the tire. Thet'ong meansy may thenebe again used in the same Way to grip the inner cylindrical` surface of the tire base ring'- to` remove the tireaxial-ly from the'mol'd In carry@4 ing outfsuch` operations. the parts seem totsepa"` rateeasily Withoutdamaging any ofthe compo-n nent parts of the tires Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a means for stripping a steel ring-backed solid rubber tire from a vulcanizing mold.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a means for separating a split inner backup ring from a steel ring-backed solid rubber 'tire and from a mold containing the back-up ring and tire. .gj` I A Also it is an object of the invention to provide a means for stripping a steel ring-backed solid or ribbed surface I4 thereof. An adhesion cement rubber tire fromra vulcanizing mold quickly and without damaging the component parts ofthe' tire.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a means for separating cylindricalan'd annular wedged rubber and metal surfaces without engaging the rubber surface and without damaging any part engaged.

Moreoven'it is an object of the present inventionfto provide a means for stripping a steel ring backednip solid rubber annulus having substantially'cylindrical inner and outer surfaces from arnold in which it is held under compression.

Finally, it is an object of the present invention to overcome the difliculties and to achieve the results discussed above. The above and other objects may be obtained bythe apparatus, parts, combinations and arrangements ofthe present invention, preferred embodiments of which are hereinafter described in detail and are shown somewhat diagrammatioallyfin the accompanying drawings, and which are set forth in the appended claims.

. In the drawings: Y

Figure 1 illustrates in vertical section, a mold containing a metal ring backed-up Vsolid rubber tire fjust .after it has been removed from the vulcanizing pit or chamber;

Fig.'2 is Ja' view, similar to Fig. 1, showing the is then applied to the corrugated or ribbed outer ring surface I4. Uncured, preferably extruded tread rubber of the desired composition or compound vis then applied to the adhesion cement coated outer ring surface I4 in any suitable manner, preferably on a modified type of tire building machine, `to form the vtread generally indimold afterthe upper mold half Vhas been rel moved, and showing the improved internal expanding tong'means gripping the inner mold ring;l

inner mold ring removed;

Fig. 4 a View similar to Fig. 3, showing the improved tong means gripping the tire for removing the sameY from kthe lower mold half;

Fig. 5 is :a elevation section ofthe completed tireafter it has been removed from the mold;

E'Fig."V 6 Yis a plan view on a smaller scale of the lower mold half shown in Figs. 1 to 4; v

3;Fi`g;.' isaY plan view on a smaller scale of the inner Ysplit ring mold ring shown in Figs..1 and 2;

Fig..8 is a plan View on a smaller scale of the completed tire shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing a modied step of stripping;

-Fig. 10 is .an enlarged view .of one of the tong gripping jaws; and

Fig 1l is a view similar to Fig. 10 of a modified formoftong gripping jaw.

ySimilar numerals referl to similar parts throughout the various figures of the drawings.

:1nk the following detailed description of the invention, the Amanufacture rof a steel ring-backed solid rubber tireis described. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not limitedl Fig.. 3Y is a View similar to Fig. 2, showing the cated at I 6.

`A ring I2 with uncured tread rubber thereon is then taken to a mold, such as the mold indicated in Figli.v The mold at this time is in separated condition, and'the mold cavity has been cleaned and preferably sprayed with a soap solution which acts as a lubricant. The mold may comprise a lower rmold halfor sectionY generally indicated at I1,v an upper mold half generally indicated at I8,'and an inner split ring generally indicated at I9. The amount of uncured tread rubber on the ring I2 is just a little more than sufficient to fill the mold cavity when the mold is assembled.

The ring I2 .with `uncured tread rubber thereon is then inserted axially within the mold cavity 2! of the lower mold half I1, and the split inner ring I9 is then inserted axially within the tire ring I2 and within the moldcavity 29. The split inner mold ring I9, because of being split at 2|, may be readily inserted within the inner cylindrical surface I3 of tire ring I2, and the ring I9 is preferably provided with .a lowerconical wedge or tapered surface 22, which may be annularly relieved as at 23, and with an upper conically tapered or wedge surface 24 similarly relieved at 23.

The mold cavity 20 of the' lower mold half I1 is provided with an outer substantially cylindrical surface 25,V except for some slight amount of draft, and Ywith an inner conical tapered or wedged surface 26 complementary to the inner ringsurface 22.

As the ring I9 is inserted within the tire and into the lower mold cavity 20, it will not quite seat at the bottom ofthe mold cavity, due to the engagement of thecomplementary surfaces 22 and 26. Likewise, the uncuredtire does not quite seat in the lower mold cavity, due to the slight amount of excess rubber in the tread, which may originallyproject Vslightly downward below the lower flange I5 `of the backing ring I2.

The yupper mold half I8 is then telescoped over the uncured tiregenerally to the position shown in Fig. l, although at this time it does not rest on the lower mold half I1. The vupper mold half or section I8 hasa mold cavity 21, similar to the mold cavity 20 of the lower mold half; and the mold cavity 21 has a substantially cylindrical outer cavity surface 28 and an inner conically tapered or wedged surface 29 complementary to the surface 24 of the inner ring I9.

The mold sections I1 and I8 are then subjected to pressure, preferably in a press engaging the lower surface of mold section I1 and the upper surface of mold section I8 to seat the mold sections I1 and I8 together in the position shown lnhg. 1'; and to seat the inner ring I 9 in the posi.-

tion shown. When the mold sections are seated! as described, the inner ring I9` accurately centers the tire ring I2 within the mololY cavity, due to the wedging action of surfaces 22 and :23, and 24 and 29. This `wedging action also expands the split ring i9.to tightly engage the inner cylindrical surface I3 oi the tire ring I2 and to support the ring against distortion due to the pressure on or compression of the tread rubber.

Moreover, at this time the uncured tread rubber completely lls the remainder of the mold cavity and is placed under compression or pressure against the Walls of the mold cavity and the tire ring I2. The slight excess amount of rubber of course liows outward into overilow grooveV 30. Y

A `number vof similar molds are then placed in the usual type of open steam vulcaniaing chamber such as `a vulcanizing pit, stackedone upon another, or individu-al molds may be placed in 4 platen type vulcanizing presses, Yand themold halves are held seated preferably under hydraulic pressure, while the vulcanizing operation is being carried out.

' the vulcanizing operation has been oompleted, the molds are taken to a table, such as indicated generally at 3i, preferably provided with one or more electromagnets 32 for 'holding the lower meld section Il to the table 3I, The upper mol-d half I8 is then engaged by a lifting sling or chain 33 of an electric, air or hydraulic hoist lor crane, and the mold half I8 is raised to 'separate it from the lower vmold half Il'. Ordinarily, the upper mold half I3 will come oli alone, leaving the tire and inner ring I9 in the lower `mold half in the position shown in Fig. 2. This is accomplished by placing more soap splution in the upper mold section L8 when 'it is cleaned andprepared. However, in .CaSe the tire and inner ring i9 hold 'to the upper mold half I-B and strip from the lower mold half; the lower mold half is removed and the upper mold half is turned over to the position of the 'lower mold half II shown in Fig. 2.

Thus far, the stripping operation .does not invotive any diuiculties, and is easy to carry out as described, because it is possible .to vseparately engage and `hold each mold half to apply force to axially separate the same. n

However, aV serious problem is .presented at the stage of the Stripping operation shdwn in Fig. 2.

At this .time the vulcanized tread rubber I6 is still located under its own .compression or pressure' within the mold cavity of the upper or lower mold half.as `the case may be, with the attendant frictional resistance between the vouter substan.

tially cylindrical surface of the tread It and the inner substantially cylindrical mold cavity surface 25. Also, the inner ring I9 is still tightly wedge engaged .within the. mold cavityand against the inner cylindrical surface I3'of the tire ring I2. There is a tremendous amount rof frictional resistance present between the .engaged cylindrical and Wedge surfaces lof the inner ring I9, .the tire ring I2 and the mold cavity 2.2, due to the wedge action and also due to diilerences in expension and contraction, incident to heating for ku-panning. of, che ure une i2. the Vinner une is and mold hair l1, which are formed ef eiuerent metals having different characteristics or analses. y Moreover, the tread rubber IB cannot be gripped for pullingtbe 'tire :from the mold ber cause it is. stillwarm' from ithexvulcan'zing .op-

eration, andk until it has cooled it isbrittle :or

is still in mold I'I; and the ring IQcann'ot be contracted because the wedge engagement of surfaces 22 and 23 prevents such contraction.

Although the inner split ring I9 is centrallyA relieved at 34 in order to separate the conical surfaces 22 and 24, theapp'lcation :of an upward pull to the ring I9 by engaging atool ingroeve 34, does not satisfactorily operateto separate the ring IS from'the tire.` Thisiis apparently due to a number of jreasons. although the exact explanation is not fully understood. First ,of' all, `a direct upward pull` applied to the ring I9 by engagingfin .groove 34, does .not seem to Substantially relieve the `frictional resistance and the, entire amount of f rictional resistance must be overcome by the pull. Second, it is difficult if not impossible, to exert .an even pull inthiS manner Vthrough,out the lrllcl` periphery of the ring I9, and Vif .the 13u11 is not even, the ring I9, will vbe cocked and bind or wedge even tighter with the mold I 'I and the tire ring I2. Third, there is not adequate room for engaging a suitable too1` in groove 3.4. Moreover, any `.tool which might be satisfactorily used .to `engage groove 34' for stripping the ring I3 from .the tire, could notbe used for later stripping the tire from the mold. i Y i Heretofore, the onlyway ,inV which the' Paris. could be separated was to'invert the Darts .of Fig. 2., .and pound on the mold .and tap 'the tire and ring lightly with a 'rubber mallet ...until the tire and ring I9 became dislodged from the mold. This procedure has resulted indamaging many tires, Aeither by the hammering or tapping, with accidental tearing of the tread rubber I5 or distortion of the ring I2, or by the tire dropping on the oor from the mold when it is suddenly dislodged. l

According to the present invention, these dimculties have been readily overcome by using the stripping method andY internally expanding tong means well shown in ,Fig 2.

The tong means are generally indicated at .35 and preferably corn-prisetong levers .35 pivotally connected at their upper ends with cross link members 3l, through :which a vertical threaded shaft 38 extends. A cross head 39 is adjustably connected tothe lower end of shaft .33 and ilanged rollers 40 arepivotally mounted on the cross head .39 and arranged so as to engage the inner .or `under edge of levers 33. 1

The upper end ofV shaft 38 may be provided with a hook Aor eye 4I for being connected to an electric, `air or vhydraulichoist or crane, lfor raising and lowering the tong means 35. A threaded nut or wheel 42, provided with ,one or more :turning handles 4.13., is preferably provided on the threaded shaft 38 so as to react against the upper 'face of link members 3l.

A gripping jaw or head 44 provided with a toothed or serrated outer face 4:5, `is pivotally mounted at 46at the lower end ofi each tong lever `3.15 on an axis parallel with the pivot be` tween the :leviers 3,6 .and head 3l.,

Y jaws 44 engage and grip the inner conical surface 24 of inner split ring I9. The hand wheel 43 is preferably used only to obtain the initial grip on the ring I9. Thereafter, the hoist is lifted to lift the expanding tong device, which securely grips the inner ring I9 and pulls it out of the mold cavity and from within the tire.

, The application of the pull from the hoist through shaft 38, cross head 39 and rollers 49 to levers 36, distributes the pulling force evenly to both gripping jaws 44 so that the pull on the ring I9 is an even, uniform pull with the resultant pull axial of the ring. Y

' The stripping of the ring I9 from the tire and mold in this manner seems to relieve the frictional resistance between the engaged cylindrical and conical surfaces, and although the mechanics of the forces operating between the various component parts, which renders the stripping a relatively easy operation in accordance with the present invention, may not be en-` tirely clear, it may possibly be due to the Very slight expanding action of the tong device against the upper inner face of the split ring, which may tend toislightly pivot the lower in-v ner circumferential edge of the split ring I9 on the mold cavity and release the frictional4 engagement, both, between cylindricalsurfacesV I3 and the outer surface of the ring I9, and between conical surfaces 22 and 26.

Even though this explanation may not be Vthe proper explanation, nevertheless, the fact remains that in this manner the ring I9 may be stripped very easily from the mold and tire so as to leave the tire in the mold as shown in Fig. 3. The split ring I9 is'then lowered to a work table and released and the tong means 35 is again lowered and its jaws 44 engaged within the tire ring I2 to grip the same, Yas shown in Fig. 4. The tong means is again raised by the hoist, pulling the tire from the mold without damage thereto, after which the tire may be sent to the finishing room for any necessary finishing operations to produce the -finished tire shown in Fig. 5. Y Y

It sometimes may happen that when the tong means 35 is engaged within the inner ring I9 and hoisted, the ring I9 and tire together may start to pull from the mold. In this event, a hold down ring 41 is placed over the tire as shown in Fig. 9, which engages the upper flange I5 of tire rim I2, and the hold down ring is connected by chains 48 or other means to the bottom mold section I1, which in turnis held by electromagnets 32. The tong means is then raised to withdraw the inner ring I9, the tire being held in the position shown in Fig. 9 by the hold down ring 41.

A modified Yform of gripping jaw is shown in Fig. 11, wherein the rubber face 45a may be provided as the gripping face for the pivoted gripping jaws 44.

In the use of the tong means 35, the jaws 44 grip either the inner annular surface of the split ring I9, or the innerV annular surface of the tire ring I2, at a plurality of areas by expanding prest gripped, normal thereto.

sure; and due to the construction of the tong means and the axial pull of the hoist, this pressure is equalized and is applied to the areas Particularly when the split ring I9 is gripped, the areas engaged by the jaws 44 are offset from the median plane of the split ring perpendicular to its axis. Moreover, the jaws are always engaged with areas of the split ring spaced from the split, and when the tong rmeans rincludes two levers, as shown, the areas engaged are opposite each other.V As the tong means is lifted by the hoist, the expanding pressure exerted lby the jaws initially by turning up hand wheel 42, is maintained and increased by the axial pull of the hoist on shaft 38.

Whether the outward expanding gripping pressure of the jaws results from the operation of the hand wheel or 4from the hoist pull, the resultant effect is to cause the cross head 39 to pivot the levers 36 about their head pivots and to force the jaws or push heads 44 substantially radially outward under equalized pressure.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a very simple devicevfor overcoming the prior art diiculties of stripping a metal ring-backed solid rubber tire from a mold quickly after vulcanizing and without damaging the tire, and accomplishes the objects, overcomes the difculties, and obtains the results hereinbefore set forth.

Having nowdescribed the features of the invention, the dificulties overcome, and an embodiment of means which may be used in accordance with the present invention; the new and useful methods, steps,Y procedures, apparatus, parts, combinations and arrangements constituting the present invention, and reasonable mechanical equivalents thereof, are set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A tong gripping device including a head, levers pivotally connected to the head, outwardly facing jaw means pivotally mounted on the levers on axes parallel to the head-lever pivot, a central cross head movably engaging the levers, and means engaging the head and connected to the cross head for moving the cross head relative to the head to pivot the levers about their head pivots and move the jaw means outward under equalized pressure.

2. A tong gripping device including a head, levers pivotally connected at one end to the head, outwardly facing jaw means pivotally mounted at the other ends of the levers on axes parallel to the head-lever pivot, a central cross head movably engaging the levers between the head and jaw pivots, and means engaging the head and connected to the cross head for moving the cross head relative to the head to pivot the levers about their head pivots and move the jaw means outward under equalized pressure. v

3. A tong gripping device including a head, levers pivotally connected to the head, outwardly facing jaw means pivotally mounted on the levers on axes parallel to the head-lever pivot, a central cross head movably engaging the levers, a threaded shaft connected to the cross head and extending through the head, and a'wheelthreaded on the shaft and reacting against the head to move the cross head toward the head for pivoting the levers aboutA their head pivots and moving the jaw means outward under equalized pressure.

4. A tong gripping devi-ce including a head, levers pivotally connected to the head, outwardly facing jaw means pivotally mounted on the levers on axes parallel to the head-lever pivot, a central cross head movably engaging the levers, a threaded shaft connected to the cross head and slidable through the head, a Wheel threaded on the shaft and reacting against the head to initially move the cross head toward the head for pivoting the levers about their head pivots and move the jaw 5 under equalized pressure.

HERMAN S. CHURCH. 

